Cooking, hairdressing, embroidery, painting, gardening, drawing, babysitting, handicrafts and reading. These are the nine principal interests of people aged over 65 according to a study by nongovernmental organization Ethelon – whose aim is to create a culture of volunteerism in Greece by rallying individuals, getting them together and putting them in touch with those who can put their skills to good use to the benefit of society.
In collaboration with the Tima Foundation – which supports Greek nonprofits focused on social improvement, and especially those that benefit the elderly – Ethelon has launched “SYNenergo: I Learn, I Participate, I Offer,” a program which offers older people the opportunity to add to their own skills and knowledge, learn about the volunteer culture and get involved in projects in the community.
Before the SYNenergo program began seniors had remained a largely untapped resource for volunteer programs, which was a shame considering the wealth of knowledge and experience they can offer due to their age and also because, being retired, they have more time to spare. One reason was that there was an absence of motivation, which the program aims to cultivate, for instance, at training centers, where participants will be able to meet with others who are already volunteers, who will share their experiences with them and spur them to get on board.
Then there was also the communication problem, as a lot of volunteer projects are publicized mainly online, and a lot of older people simply don’t use the internet. This is an issue that can be addressed by way of printed ads, phone campaigns or even getting their children and grandchildren to pass along information about events that they learn about on the internet.
A meeting was held recently at Villa Stella in the Athens neighborhood of Neo Iraklio to familiarize a group of pensioners with the concept of volunteering. “A team of specialists gave them practical advice on how to protect against the heat in the summertime. They were also informed about the work Ethelon does and about the SYNenergo program,” project manager Erikaiti Maria Fintzou told Kathimerini.
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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Tilemahos Efthimiadis License: CC-BY-SA
Source: ekathimerini.com
